Desktop icons move from main screen to extended screen monitor

Anonymous
2013-10-10T13:38:33+00:00

I have been using this setup with my laptop for 18 months so I am familiar with extended screen usage.  Two days ago a problem started.  I have a laptop with 17" screen set to the Main Display plus a 22" not checked to be the Main Display.  Screen Resolution > Multiple Displays = Extend these displays.  Desktop right click > View > Auto Arrange is Not checked.  Sort By options are unchecked.  Personalization > Allow themes to change desktop icons is Not checked.

I have all my desktop icons arranged on the laptop screen which is set to be Main Display.

New Problem: 

When I plug the extended monitor cable into the laptop or when I fresh bootup or if I had changed the Appearance settings from extended to duplicate or to the external 22" to be off and then turn it back to being extended, any of those things, to basically use the 2nd monitor as extended will cause all the desktop icons to move to the extended 22" screen space.  They are supposed to stay anchored to the laptop Main screen since that is how it is allocated.  This worked fine until two days ago and I was not playing with any settings before it happened.

If I unplug the external monitor or set it to be unused or as a duplicate image then the icons return to the main laptop monitor.

I use a freeware IconRestorer to save and restore the last saved desktop layout.  Since this problem started it restores to the extended monitor not back to the laptop main screen like it had previously.  I have killed IconRestorer from the background to see if it was causing the problem and it had no affect.

With the icons showing on the extended 22" monitor and I unplug the video cable for it the icons move to the laptop screen however they are rearranged.  Each time I try that the icons form a different layout and order on the laptop screen. 

I can then run IconRestorer with the 22" still unplugged from the laptop and all the icons will be restored properly.  So I conclude IconRestorer is working fine.  The problem seems to be that Win 7 thinks the Laptop screen is not the main screen even though it is checked as to be the main screen.

Once only while repeating these various steps, after the icons are restored with the 2nd monitor unplugged, then plug it back in all looks fine but if I do the IconRestorer restore all the icons again get placed to the extended 22" screen.  Usually plugging the extended monitor back in causes the icons to jump to that monitor.

Note that when the laptop is checked to be the Main screen the taskbar is located on the laptop monitor so it only partially thinks the extended screen should be the main screen.  If I set the extended 22" as the Main screen then the task bar jumps to the extended screen and all the desktop icons come back to the laptop screen.

It never worked like that before.  I also am running win 7 on desktop with 4 monitors and all icons being on main screen at far left and that still works fine including the use of IconRestorer.

***Post moved by the moderator to the appropriate forum category.***

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

105 answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2019-05-22T16:18:03+00:00

    This is a bug that's been there for years and not fixed. here's how I work around it:

    For me this problem only occurs when I have moved my default second screen to the left of the main monitor - the taskbar stays with the primary monitor but all the icons shift left onto the second monitor.

    1. Plug in the second monitor which physically sits to the left of your primary screen
    2. Right click the desktop, choose Graphic Options>Output To>Extended Desktop> Built-in display + Monitor.
    3. Extended desktop enabled, but screen 2 (on the left) can only be accessed by moving the cursor to the right!
    4. right click the desktop and choose Graphic Properties - choose 'Multiple Displays' from the side menu.
    5. Move monitor 2 from it's default 'Right' side to the left - ALL THE ICONS GO WITH IT to screen 2 but the taskbar stays on the primary monitor!!!!!
    6. Click 'Apply' to accept this (temporarily) - close the 'properties' window.
    7. Right Click the desktop, but this time choose 'Screen Resolution'.  Ensure that screen 2 is to the left - if not, move it.
    8. Click on screen 1 and ENSURE IT SAYS 'This is currently your main display'
    9. Click on screen 2 and tick the box that says 'Make this my main display' -the taskbar should move to screen 2.
    10. FINALLY click on Screen 1 again and tick the box that says 'Make this my main display' -the taskbar AND ALL THE ICONS should move back to screen 1.

    Works every time for me.

    BE AWARE - there are lots of bugs around extended desktop - beware of letting the machine hibernate or sleep in extended desktop mode and disconnecting the extended screen - mine wakes up defaulting only to the extended screen (my main screen is blank whatever I choose to do) - Blind hard reboot required

    every time and lost data ensues...

    Thank you! Your post was very helpful up to a point. My system is using a Dell Laptop and a 27" external monitor. It uses the Intel Graphics Adapter and Intel Display Settings utility, so I can't just follow along with your step-by-step procedures. My Primary has been the Laptop display and all Icons have resided there until a week ago. Now the Icons have moved to the second monitor and they go back to the laptop if I set it for built-in display only.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2019-05-01T02:50:14+00:00

    My turn to offer my two cents --

    I enabled "View -> Hidden Items" in Windows Explorer.  This revealed two copies of the file desktop.ini.  If I had bothered to check, I probably would have seen one was located in the All Users\Desktop folder, and the other in <my user>\Desktop folder, but I really don't care.  I nuked both and everything works now.  I suppose if Windows needs it, it can regenerate the file appropriately (or not).

    What a stupid goddamn bug.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2019-03-13T15:34:14+00:00

    Themes->Manage desktop Icons ->untick recycle bin. Apply. -> tick recycle bin. apply. Fixed mine instantly.

    Was this answer helpful?

    20+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2019-01-31T04:31:12+00:00

    Thanks for your reply.

    Method 2:  Unfortunately I did have auto restore points running so the most recent restore point was from 2010.

    Method 1:    Failed to help.

    I uninstalled and deleted the driver (by checking box to delete it), rebooted. 

    Windows Update ran automatically after the reboot.  It updated the Intel graphics driver.  This is a Dell laptop. 

    Rebooted. 

    2nd monitor remained unplugged through all of this.

    Icons appeared on the laptop screen but somewhat scrambled.  Ran IconRestorer to put them back in place.

    Plugged in 2nd monitor and all but two desktop icons jumped to the 2nd monitor with main taskbar staying at bottom of the laptop screen.  I looked, the laptop screen is checked to be the main display.

    I had not been doing this before this problem and do not do this on my desktop but for this experiment after restoring the icon locations with IconRestorer I remove it from running in the background before plugging in the 2nd monitor.

    Do you have any other ideas?

    *Recommend The Program Desktop OK, You can Save your screens with single panel and 2 panels 3 panels. ect.

    you dont have to install it, just save to your documents unzip n Run. *my version always shows in german first. but the flag in the bottom left switch to your lingo.... Desktop ok. just google it. or 

    https://www.techspot.com/downloads/6396-desktopok.html

    **Works in win,xp,Vista,7,8,8.5,10 and Will Prolly continue to work for a good long while** Linux Store has something like it!

    Is a good site to get from. i also use https://ninite.com/ to re-download after a fresh install.

    PS: I know the OP posted in 2013 but i found this searching for something else, Felt the need to pass it on!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2019-01-26T17:54:52+00:00

    I posted over a year ago and have been following since of and on. My fix was to dump the Win 10 Pro insider upgrade program. I nuked the drive and did a fresh load of Win 10 Pro with the latest build of the time, Not an upgrade or refresh, an actual full install. That's what fixed it for me.

    My three other systems didn't have the issue but had other Win 10 Pro issues, but that's for another board.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments